BBO-PLAYER-NEWS-WIRE - Part 1

2B Robinson Cano stopped an 0-for-16 slump with a fifth-inning single Sunday night, which also prevented him from matching a career-worst of going five consecutive games without a hit, which he had from May 5-9, 2005.

3B Alex Rodriguez is not quite ready to swing a bat, but an X-ray Sunday revealed that his fractured left hand continues to heal properly. Rodriguez said he expects to be re-examined after the Yankees' off-day on Thursday and perhaps he can be cleared to swing next weekend. He is set to start a program of strengthening exercises this week, too. "I think everything's as scheduled," Rodriguez said. "We talked about 4-6 weeks at the beginning and I think Tuesday is the four-week mark, so we're right on schedule."

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MLB Note - New York Yankees Feliciano, Pedro

LHP Pedro Feliciano, who hasn't pitched since 2010 due to shoulder problems, threw one scoreless inning Saturday in the Gulf Coast League in his third relief appearance in a minor-league rehab assignment. The Yankees are hopeful the lefty reliever can return in September. "We hope so,' manager Joe Girardi said. "We hope that he's a player in September. I think that's why he's going through what he's going through. If we didn't think he could help us, we wouldn't be putting him through this."

1B Mark Teixeira missed his third straight game Sunday with an inflamed left wrist, but the Yankees' team leader in RBI (78) expects to return to the lineup Monday in Chicago. "There is definitely improvement," Teixeira said. "We just want to give it one more day. Everyone agreed that you could probably push it (Sunday). It may feel OK, but it's best to give it one more day."

CF Curtis Granderson had 72 home runs since 2011 through Saturday, the most in the majors over that span. He was shifted to fourth in the lineup Sunday for the first time as a Yankee and for just the second time in his career and was 1-for-2 with an RBI double. "He's been swinging the bat pretty good the last couple of days," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's had some success off (Boston starter Josh) Beckett, as well, and with some of our guys out (including Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira), I just put Curtis there."

2B Daniel Murphy was given the start off by manager Terry Collins, against tough Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez. Later, he was given the day off by home plate umpire Jordan Baker. Baker ejected Murphy after he struck out looking in an eighth-inning pinch-hit appearance.

Murphy flipped his bat after the strikeout, prompting the ejection. Justin Turner started in Murphy's place and went 2-for-5.

LHP Johan Santana will be the hot topic in a meeting between Mets general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins on Monday, as the men will discuss their strategy for dealing with the struggling pitcher the rest of the season. Reports have indicated Santana could be shut down the rest of the year to help his surgically-repaired left shoulder, but as of now, Collins said, Santana was still scheduled to start Thursday.

Santana was supposed to have a long toss session Sunday, but it was postponed to Monday, due to rain.

RHP Jeremy Hefner gave up five runs on eight hits, including two homers, in five innings in Sunday's loss to the Nationals. Hefner was the latest starter for the Mets, who are going forward with a six-man rotation. The righty was off to an unusual start, as the game was delayed two hours and 26 minutes by rain, but Hefner pitched a scoreless first before giving up four runs in the next two innings.

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MLB Note - New York Mets Tejada, Ruben

SS Ruben Tejada was given the start off from Sunday's game against the Nationals, the first time he was not written in manager Terry Collins' lineup since July 24. During that stretch, Tejada had a career-high 14-game hitting streak and posted 10 multiple-hit games, but he has cooled off recently. Tejada later pinch-hit Sunday, but did not get a hit.

C Kelly Shoppach denied a report that he was one of the Boston players behind an infamous text message reportedly sent to Red Sox ownership with complaints about Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine late in July. The New York Daily News reported Shoppach had been involved in creating the text sent from Adrian Gonzalez's phone that griped about Valentine leaving Red Sox starter Jon Lester in a game to give up 11 runs. The incident had been reported by Yahoo Sports in a story that said Sox players were upset with Valentine for embarrassing Lester, in the latest rift between the manager and players, and that players and management held a meeting.

Shoppach told reporters Sunday he addressed Mets officials to tell them he wasn't involved. "I wasn't behind any texts," said Shoppach, who was traded to the Mets earlier in the week. "I actually didn't even attend the meeting."

CF Dexter Fowler's run-scoring double in the first inning was his first extra-base hit since he doubled Monday in the first game of the homestand. The RBI was Fowler's first since Aug. 10 at San Francisco. But he finished the seven-game homestand with multi-hit games in five of the six games he played in and reached base 14 times in those games. And he raised his average 10 points on the homestand to .302.

OF Charlie Blackmon was recalled from Class AAA Colorado Springs. He struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance and started Sunday in right field and went 0-for-4. Blackmon was with the Rockies for about a month last year before breaking his right foot July 7 and hit .255 in 27 games.

Blackmon rehabbed with short-season Tri-City (Pasco, Wash.) this season, then played 55 games for Colorado Springs, where he hit .303 (69-for-228) with 18 doubles, four triples, five homers and 34 RBIs.

LF Carlos Gonzalez won't return until Tuesday in New York at the earliest. He was placed on the bereavement list Saturday after the death of his grandfather in Venezuela. A player has to remain on the bereavement list three days and can stay on it no more than seven days.

RF-1B Michael Cuddyer was placed on the 15-day disabled list and could miss the balance of the season after again straining his right oblique Saturday night.

Cuddyer originally strained his oblique July 31 and came off the disabled list Thursday. In his first game, he hit a game-tying two-run homer that helped the Rockies beat the Marlins 5-3. Because he had played on Tuesday and Wednesday at Colorado Springs on a rehab assignment, trainer Keith Dugger had Cuddyer take Friday off as a precaution but had no questions about his health Saturday.

"It's extremely frustrating, it's beyond frustrating," Cuddyer said, "because I felt so good. I felt good on the rehab... I felt good my first two at-bats. And then just one swing, pow."

That came on his third at-bat in the fifth when he flied out to right following the fateful swing. Cuddyer stayed in the game three more innings, despite knowing immediately he was hurt.

"I didn't want to come out, so I gave it another shot on my last at-bat," said Cuddyer, referring to the seventh when he hit into a fielder's choice. "Even stayed out the next half-inning, because I didn't want to come out after an out. After my last at-bat, (first base coach Glenallen) Hill got my helmet and batting gloves, and I couldn't even breathe."

OF Gary Brown, the Giants' best hitting prospect, was moved from center to left at Double-A Richmond in the wake of LF Melky Cabrera's 50-game PED suspension. The Giants want to see how Brown can do in left, a position that suddenly could be open next year, now that Cabrera no longer is in the team's immediate plans. "We just want to look at it," manager Bruce Bochy said.

SS Brandon Crawford, known before the season as an all-glove, little-hit infielder, pinch hit and went 0-for-1 Saturday, ending a nine-game hit streak. In the nine games, he hit .419 (13-for-31). He has 13 errors, sixth most among big-league shortstops, but has committed only one error in his last 47 games.

RHP Guillermo Mota, serving a 100-game suspension for a second positive PED test, began his minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Fresno, tossing a scoreless inning. He had made two appearances in rookie-league level (seven runs, eight hits, 2 2/3 innings) before advancing to Fresno. He's eligible to be reinstated Aug. 28.

LHP Madison Bumgarner will pitch Monday's opener of the big series at Dodger Stadium, followed by RHPs Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Bumgarner is 4-2 with a 3.62 ERA in seven starts against the Dodgers. The Dodgers are countering with LHP Clayton Kershaw, RHP Joe Blanton and LHP Chris Capuano.

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MLB Note - Colorado Rockies Brown, Andrew

OF Andrew Brown was recalled from Class AAA Colorado Springs. He entered Sunday's game in the second inning after LF Eric Young left due to a left rib cage strain and went 1-for-3 with a bad-hop double. This is Brown's second tour with the Rockies this season. He played 11 games, including five starts, from July 17-Aug. 1 and hit .208 (5-for-24) with two doubles and three RBI. At Class AAA Colorado Springs, Brown is hitting .308 with 33 doubles, 24 home runs and 98 RBI in 100 games.

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MLB Note - Colorado Rockies Young Jr., Eric

LF Eric Young Jr. left the game after the first inning with a left intercostal muscle strain, a rib cage injury.

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MLB Note - Colorado Rockies Rutledge, Josh

SS Josh Rutledge, who has been bothered by left quadriceps soreness for about a week, was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth. In the top of that inning, Rutledge aggravated his quadriceps on a bizarre play. After Justin Ruggiano led off the fifth with a single, Jose Reyes lofted a fly ball to short left field. Left fielder Andrew Brown caught the ball just as Rutledge ran into Brown's outstretched arm. The ball popped loose and shot toward the left-field foul line, putting runners on second and third, but Adam Ottavino avoided giving up a run.

INF Michael Young broke a career-long 88-game, 349 at-bat homerless drought with a three-run home run in the fifth inning Sunday. Young also had five RBIs, his most since April 25, 2010. Young is 6-for-17 with a pair of walks since getting a day off on Wednesday.

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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Crawford, Carl

LF Carl Crawford is scheduled to meet Monday with Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, manager Bobby Valentine and members of the team's medical and training staffs to determine a long-term course of treatment for his balky left elbow. The left fielder has been playing with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, and it's likely he will need to have Tommy John surgery, a procedure that would require a rehabilitation that typically ranges from seven to nine months. "I think we've got to focus mostly on what Carl needs, what's right for him," Cherington said before Sunday night's game at Yankee Stadium. "This is a real injury he's playing with, so we've got to take it seriously. Personally, I think he's certainly been playing and playing through an injury in large part because the team is trying to win games and trying to stay in (playoff contention). But when it comes to the decision, we've got to focus mostly on what's best for Carl."

RHP Koji Uehara threw 30 pitches of live batting practice at Class AA Frisco on Saturday and will begin a rehab assignment with Class AAA Round Rock on Tuesday. He is scheduled to be activated on August 26 if all goes well with his two rehab outings. Uehara has been out since June 10 with a strained lat muscle.

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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Murphy, David

OF David Murphy, who had a pair of doubles and a homer on Sunday, has already matched his 2011 totals for homers (11) and RBIs (46) and has surpassed his doubles total (23 to 14) despite having 90 fewer at-bats at this point than he did for all of 2011.

C Mike Napoli will see team orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister on Monday to have his strained left quadriceps re-evaluated. He could be cleared to begin baseball activities once again. Napoli is eligible to come off the DL on August 26.

RHP Joe Nathan set a Rangers franchise record by converting his 22nd consecutive save opportunity on Saturday. Nathan surpassed a mark set by Francisco Cordero in 2004. It is not, however, Nathan's personal best. He converted 27 in a row in 2004.

DH David Ortiz took batting practice again Sunday but said he still won't be ready to play Tuesday night at Fenway Park in the series opener against the Angels. Ortiz's return is growing imminent, though. Asked if he would be ready during the Red Sox's seven-game homestand, perhaps even later this week, Ortiz said, "If things continue the way they are, probably, yeah." Ortiz has been sidelined since July 16 by a strained right Achilles. "You know how injuries are," said Ortiz. "You take your time, you heal, then when you're ready to go, you're ready to go. I'm finally seeing the light when it comes to my injury." The Red Sox were 46-44 when Ortiz got injured. They have gone 13-19 without him. But even with the team fading in the standings, Ortiz said he hasn't considered resting his sore right heel for the remainder of the season. "If I'm healthy, of course (I'll play)," Ortiz said.

RHP John Lackey threw a 45-pitch bullpen session Sunday, the latest step in his return from Tommy John elbow surgery. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine came away from the session feeling "very impressed with what I saw." Said Valentine, "After talking to him afterward. He's feeling really good about his progress. From what I remember of him throwing the last time I saw him and watching him today, it looked like different people. And he thought there was a lot different effort because he was throwing through so much pain in the past." GM Ben Cherington said it's "unlikely" Lackey will be ready to pitch in games before the minor league season is over. He might, however, make a few starts in the Florida Instructional League before going through a normal offseason routine.

RHP Daniel Bard will be recalled by the Red Sox when rosters expand in September, if not sooner, according to GM Ben Cherington. Banished to the minors in early June and moved back to the bullpen after a failed experiment as a starter, Bard has continued to struggle with his control. In 28 appearances, he has issued 29 walks, hit nine batters and posted a 7.45 ERA. On Thursday night, Bard allowed three runs on two walks and a hit in one inning against Scranton-Wilkes/Barre. The Red Sox maintain Bard has pitched better than his numbers indicate. They also believe that the adrenaline from being back in a major league environment will help him attain better results.